StarTribune.com Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting this digital platform, which is owned and operated by Star Tribune Media Company LLC.

Please take a few minutes to review this Policy. It governs your use of any Star Tribune–owned website or mobile or tablet application on which it is posted (referred to collectively herein as our "Sites"). This Policy does not apply to information obtained by Star Tribune or its affiliates through other means, including information obtained through Star Tribune–owned websites or mobile or tablet applications on which this Policy is not posted.

Information You Manually Provide:
Star Tribune collects the Personal Information you knowingly and manually provide when you use our Sites. The type of Personal Information we collect varies depending upon how you use our Sites. For example, if you register with www.startribune.com, download a mobile or tablet application, and/or subscribe to our digital products and services, we may ask you to provide your name, email address, and other information. Some features and services require additional Personal Information or demographic information. For example, when you enter contests you may be asked to provide your phone number so that we can reach you in the event you win a prize. We may also collect any Personal Information you submit on or through our Sites when you provide Feedback, comment on an article, or contact us with questions.

Information From Third-Party Social Media Platforms:
You may be able to choose to register, log–on, or enhance your profile on our Sites through a third–party social media platform, such as Facebook Connect. By doing this, you are asking the third–party social media platform to send us registration information from your profile on that platform. We treat that information as we do any other information you give to us when you register, log–on, or enhance your profile. After you have connected, the third party may also send us additional information from your profile that allows us to offer certain functionalities on the pages you view.

Information Sent to Us by Your Web Browser:
We collect information that is sent to us automatically by your web browser. This information typically includes your IP address, the identity of your Internet service provider, the name and version of your operating system, the name and version of your browser, the date and time of your visit, and the pages on our Sites that you visit. Please check your browser if you want to learn what information your browser sends or how to change your settings.

IP Addresses:
Your IP address is the identifier assigned to your particular computer when you access the Internet. Depending on how you connect to the Internet, your IP address may always be the same, or it may change each time you access the Internet. IP addresses do not include your name, email address or other Personal Information, but in some cases, they can be used to identify you. For example, if you have registered with our Sites, we may link your IP address to account information that identifies you personally. We may also provide your IP address to our third–party service providers who can use it to identify information such as your state and zip code. If we suspect inappropriate or criminal activity or a threat to our Sites or their users, we may also share our server logs—which contain users’ IP addresses—with the appropriate investigative authorities, who could use that information to trace and identify individuals.

Cookies and Similar Technologies:
Most websites use cookies and/or similar technologies to place information about a user’s visit to that website in a small data text file that is stored on the user’s computer. In general, we use cookies and other web technologies to:

collect information about the ways visitors use our Sites–which pages they visit, which links they use, and how long they stay on each page;

support the features and functionality of our Sites—for example, to save you the trouble of reentering information already in our database or to prompt the settings you established on previous visits; and

personalize your experience when you use our Sites, including the serving of targeted advertisements.

Information from your mobile or tablet device:
If you download one of our mobile or tablet applications or access one of our websites through your mobile or tablet device, we may automatically collect certain information from or about your mobile or tablet device. The types of information we may collect include the type of device you use, your device's unique ID, the IP address of your device, your device's operating system, the type of mobile or tablet Internet browsers you use, and information about the way you use our mobile or tablet application.

Using GPS technology, we may also collect precise, real–time location information from your mobile or tablet device and use that information to deliver tailored content through our mobile websites or through our mobile or tablet applications. For example, if our mobile or tablet application recognizes that you are near a particular advertiser’s place of business, we may send a message to your mobile or tablet device letting you know about an offer from that advertiser.

We may also share information about your location with your friends and other contacts, to the extent you interact with them using the social networking tools available on our Sites. Your mobile or tablet device may allow you to adjust your settings so that location information is not available to any mobile website or application. If you have questions about the security and privacy settings of your mobile or tablet device, please refer to instructions from your mobile service provider or the manufacturer of your device.

In addition to the cookies Star Tribune delivers to your computer or mobile or tablet device through our Sites, certain third parties may deliver cookies to you for a variety of reasons. For example, we use Google Analytics, a web analytics tool that helps us understand how visitors engage with our Sites. To learn more about Google Analytics, click here.

Other third parties may deliver cookies to your computer or mobile or tablet device for the purpose of tracking your online behaviors across nonaffiliated websites and delivering targeted advertisements either on our Sites or on other websites.

You have choices about the collection of information by third parties on our Sites. For example, if you don’t want information about your visit to our Sites sent to Google Analytics, you may download an Opt–out Browser Add–on by clicking here. Please note that the Add–on does not prevent information from being sent to Star Tribune.

In addition, if you would like to opt-out of having interest–based information collected by certain entities during your visits to our Sites or other websites, please click here. You will be directed to an industry–developed website that contains mechanisms for choosing whether each listed entity may collect and use data for online behavioral advertising purposes. It may be that some of the third parties that collect interest–based information on our Sites do not participate in the industry–developed opt–out website, in which case the best way to avoid third–party tracking of your online behaviors may be through your browser settings and deletion of cookies.

We may use information gathered through our Sites to create a compiled, aggregate view of our Sites’ audiences and visitors’s usage patterns. We use aggregated information to operate our services and to better understand our audience as we develop new products and services. We may also share aggregated information with our third–party service providers as well as with potential investors, advertisers, and subscribers so they can better understand and/or market to our audience. For example, we might share that a certain percentage of our users are female or within a certain age range or live within a cluster of zip codes. Aggregate information is not personally identifiable.

From time to time, we may post a survey on our Sites or, if we have your contact information and your consent, we may send you a questionnaire or survey. We compile statistical information from the responses to our surveys. These statistics are not personally identifiable. These statistics help us understand the needs and preferences of the groups we serve and improve the content and functionality of our Sites. In addition, when we conduct a poll that gauges reader reaction to a particular news event, we may make the results of that poll available on our Sites.

In General:
You have choices about the ways we collect, use and disclose your Personal Information as well as information we automatically collect from your computer or mobile or tablet device. Discussed above are choices you have about delivery of cookies to your computer or mobile or tablet device through our Sites. In addition, we may ask you to indicate your choices at the time we collect your Personal Information. For example, we generally provide to you an opportunity to “opt out” of receiving certain communications from us and/or our business partners. We also include an “unsubscribe” link in each electronic newsletter or promotional email we send you, and you can always text STOP to learn how to stop receiving SMS text messages from us.

Previously Expressed Preferences:
You may change previously expressed preferences regarding how we use your Personal Information. If you have registered on our Sites, you can change certain privacy preferences through your account. Otherwise, please contact us at feedback@startribune.com. Once we have the information we need, we will remove you from our mailing lists as you have requested. Please give us a reasonable amount of time to honor your request.

You can access, update or correct Personal Information related to your membership on www.startribune.com by clicking here. You can access, update or correct Personal Information related to your subscription account by clicking here. You may also be able to access, update or correct the Personal Information you have submitted to us using a functionality available through a mobile or tablet application. If you are unclear as to how to access, update or correct your Personal Information, please contact us at feedback@startribune.com. We will respond to you within a reasonable time and, in any case, within the time limits established by applicable law. We may ask you for additional information to verify your identity. In most cases, we will provide access and correct or delete any inaccurate information you discover. In some cases, however, we may limit or deny your request if the law permits or requires us to do so or if we are unable to verify your identify.

We maintain reasonable administrative, physical and technological measures to protect the confidentiality and security of Personal Information you submit on or through our Sites. For example, when collecting credit card information for online purchases, we offer secured–service transactions that encrypt your information in transit to thwart others from intercepting or misusing it. Unfortunately, no website, mobile or tablet application, server, or database is completely secure or “hacker proof.” We therefore cannot guarantee that your Personal Information will not be disclosed, misused or lost by accident or by the unauthorized acts of others. Further, we cannot control dissemination of Personal Information contained in User–Generated Content you post on or through our Sites, and you should have no expectation of privacy in such information.

Third-Party Service Providers:
Star Tribune shares Personal Information collected through our Sites with third–party service providers who act for or on behalf of Star Tribune. For example, we may use third–party vendors to design, operate, and/or host our Sites, to conduct surveys, and to help us with our promotional efforts. These third parties may need information about you to perform their functions.

User-Generated Content:
The User–Generated Content you submit on or through our Sites is available to others who visit our Sites. Any Personal Information contained in User–Generated Content you submit can be read, collected, or used by others, and could be used to send you unsolicited messages. In addition, we may use User–Generated Content you submit on or through our Sites in connection with our news gathering and reporting activities or for advertising campaigns and other promotions. We may or may not use your name in connection with such use, and we may or may not seek your consent before using the content for such purposes. Therefore, you should have no expectation of privacy with respect to User–Generated Content you submit on or through our Sites. You should not submit any content you do not wish to make available to the general public, and you must take special care to make sure your submissions comply with our Terms of Use. In particular, your submissions must not violate the privacy or other rights of others.

Business Partners:
From time to time, we may share your Personal Information with selected third parties (other than our service providers) for their own marketing purposes. For example, we partner with third parties to sponsor contests or other promotions, and we may share with these third parties the Personal Information you submit to us to participate in the contest or take advantage of the promotion. Before doing so, however, we may offer you the opportunity to “opt out” or “opt in” as required by applicable law. In some cases, you will not be able to participate in a contest or take advantage of a promotion unless you consent to disclosure to our business partner of the Personal Information you submit in connection with the contest or promotion.

Business Negotiations:
We may contemplate, for strategic or other reasons, selling, buying, merging, or otherwise reorganizing one or more of our businesses. In negotiating with a third party about entering into such an arrangement, we may need to disclose your Personal Information. In such cases, we will take reasonable measures to protect the Personal Information we disclose, for example, by requiring a prospective purchaser to sign a non-disclosure agreement limiting the use and protecting the confidentiality of the Personal Information.

Business Transfers:
We may transfer the Personal Information you submit on or through our Sites to any organization that acquires or merges with us.

Compliance With Laws and Protection of Our Rights and the Rights of Others:
We may disclose your Personal Information when we, in good faith, believe disclosure is appropriate to comply with the law, a court order or a subpoena. We may also disclose your Personal Information to prevent or investigate a possible crime, such as fraud or identity theft; to protect the security of our Sites; to enforce or apply our online Terms of Use or other agreements; or to protect our own rights or property or the rights, property or safety of our users or others.

As Described in a Privacy Notice:
We reserve the right to disclose your Personal Information as described in any privacy notice posted on a page of our Sites where you provide that information. By providing your Personal Information on that page you will be consenting to the disclosure of your Personal Information as described in that privacy notice.

Our Sites are not intended for children or minors under the age of thirteen years without the permission of a parent or guardian. If you believe that a child has submitted Personal Information on or through our Sites without the consent and supervision of a parent or guardian, please contact us using the information provided below so that we can take appropriate action.

Our Sites may provide links to other websites operated by third parties. We expect our partners, providers of content and services, and advertisers to be transparent about their data protection practices. Be aware, however, that we have no control over third–party websites. This Policy does not apply to Personal Information collected on any third-party website. When you access third–party websites through a link on our Sites, please take a few minutes to review the privacy policy posted on that site.

By using any Star Tribune–owned website or mobile or tablet application on which this Policy is posted, you are consenting to the collection, use, and disclosure of information, including your Personal Information, as set forth in this Policy. If you do not agree to be bound by this Policy, you may not access or use our Sites.

Star Tribune is a U.S. corporation headquartered in the United States. Our Sites are currently hosted on servers located in the United States, although we reserve the right to relocate our Sites to other servers elsewhere in the world. Your Personal Information may be stored on servers located within the United States or in another country. In addition, we may transfer your Personal Information to our service providers and others located in the United States or another country for the purposes described in this Policy. Different countries have different privacy laws and requirements, and some provide less legal protection for your Personal Information than others.

BY USING OUR SITES, YOU ARE CONSENTING TO THE COLLECTION, USE, AND TRANSFER OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IN OR TO THE UNITED STATES OR TO ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD SUBJECT TO THE TERMS OF THIS POLICY.

This Policy is part of the Terms of Use that govern your use of our Sites. We typically provide a link to our Terms of Use in the universal footer of our websites and on our mobile and tablet applications.

This Policy may be supplemented or amended from time to time by “privacy notices” posted on our Sites. These privacy notices provide a level of detail that we cannot provide in this more general description of our privacy practices. For example, certain pages of our Sites may contain privacy notices providing details about the Personal Information we collect on those pages, why we need that information, and choices you may have about the ways we use that information. Privacy practices related to specific contests we offer will appear in the contest rules.

When you sign up to use a special feature of our Sites, you may be asked to agree to special terms governing your use of the special feature. In such cases, you may be asked to expressly consent to the special terms, for example, by checking a box or clicking on a button marked “I agree.” This type of agreement is known as a “click-through” agreement. If any of the terms of the click–through agreement are different than the terms of this Policy, the terms of the click–through agreement will supplement or amend this Policy, but only with respect to the matters governed by the “click–through agreement.”

This Policy describes Star Tribune’s current policies and practices with regard to the information, including Personal Information, we collect through our Sites.

We are continually improving and adding to the features and functionality of our Sites and the services we offer through our Sites. As a result of these changes (or changes in the law), we may need to update or revise this Policy. Accordingly, we reserve the right to update or modify this Policy at any time, without prior notice, by posting the revised version of this Policy behind the link marked “Privacy Policy” in the universal footer of the websites governed by this Policy and by making it available through the mobile and tablet applications governed by this Policy. Your continued use of our Sites after we have posted the revised Policy constitutes your agreement to be bound by the revised Policy and your agreement that any information we previously collected from you may be used as described in the revised Policy.

For your convenience, whenever this Policy is changed, we will alert you by placing the word “New” next to the link marked “Privacy Policy” in the universal footer of the websites governed by this Policy. We will also update the “effective date” at the top of this page. If you have not used our Sites recently, be sure you check the effective date to see if this Policy has been revised since your last visit.

You may access the current version of this Policy at any time by clicking the link marked “Privacy Policy” in the universal footer of the websites governed by this Policy or by clicking the button that appears in our mobile or tablet application.

“Content” refers to all of the software and code comprising or used to operate our Sites, and all of the text, photographs, images, illustrations, graphics, sound recordings, video, and audio–video clips, and other materials available on our Sites, including User–Generated Content.

“Feedback” refers to the Content you post on or through our Sites that is specifically about how we can improve our Sites and the products and services we make available through our Sites.

“Personal Information” refers to information that identifies you personally, alone or in combination with other information available to us. Examples of Personal Information include your name, address, and email address.

“Policy” refers to this online privacy policy.

“Sites” refers collectively to Star Tribune–owned websites and mobile and tablet applications on which this Policy is posted.

“User-Generated Content” refers to all of the text, photographs, images, illustrations, graphics, sound recordings, video, audio–video clips, and other Content that you post on or through our Sites using the social networking tools we make available to you and that does not constitute Feedback. One way that User–Generated Content differs from other information you provide to us is that, once submitted, User–Generated Content is made available instantaneously to others. Examples of User–Generated Content include comments posted beneath news reports available on our Sites.